What's Happening?
An AWS outage on October 21, 2025, caused significant disruptions for users of the Eight Sleep Pod, a smart bed system that relies on Amazon's cloud network for its functionality. The outage affected various
services globally, including WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Venmo, but for Eight Sleep Pod users, it meant losing control over their bed's temperature and elevation settings. The smart bed system, which includes a cover with water channels and a hub connected to an app, requires a WiFi connection to operate. When AWS went down, users were unable to adjust their bed settings, leading to uncomfortable sleeping conditions. The outage highlighted the system's reliance on cloud services, prompting Eight Sleep to announce a new Backup Mode feature to mitigate such issues in the future.
Why It's Important?
The incident underscores the vulnerabilities of smart home devices that depend heavily on cloud services. For consumers, this raises concerns about the reliability and resilience of such systems, especially when they come with a high price tag. The Eight Sleep Pod, costing upwards of $3,348, represents a significant investment for users who expect seamless functionality. The outage not only disrupted sleep but also highlighted the potential risks of over-reliance on a single cloud provider. This event may prompt consumers and manufacturers to reconsider the design and infrastructure of smart home devices, potentially leading to innovations that offer more offline capabilities or alternative connectivity options.
What's Next?
In response to the outage, Eight Sleep has introduced a Backup Mode that allows users to control their bed's temperature and elevation even when WiFi or cloud services are unavailable. This feature is being rolled out gradually, although a specific timeline for full implementation has not been provided. As the winter season approaches, with potential for more frequent outages due to weather conditions, the company may face increased pressure to expedite this rollout. Additionally, other smart device manufacturers might take this opportunity to evaluate their own systems' dependencies on cloud services and consider similar backup solutions to enhance reliability.
